The ties between Sauber and the FIAT\/Ferrari group are becoming increasingly close. Last year, a milestone was reached when Alfa Romeo became the team’s title sponsor. The team was then responsible for continuing the development of Charles Leclerc, who performed so well that he was promoted to the Scuderia after just one season.<\/p>\n
But the ties will not stop with this transfer. Thus, another prot\u00e9g\u00e9 from Maranello will have his first full season in F1 with Sauber, as Antonio Giovinazzi has secured a full-time seat while Kimi R\u00e4ikk\u00f6nen returns to the team where he started his career.<\/p>\n
The integration between the two structures will be strengthened, especially with regard to suppliers. As such, all combinations of drivers and mechanics will now be provided by Sparco, a historic partner of Ferrari. Claudio Pastoris, the CEO of the clothing and shoe brand, said: “We are proud of this new partnership based on two major strengths of the company I represent. The first is our experience in motorsports, as we have been supplying the most competitive teams and drivers for over 40 years. The second is our long-standing relationship with Alfa Romeo and the FCA group, which has positioned us at the forefront in supplying seats and accessories for their high-performance vehicles.”<\/p>\n
With a marketing asset like Kimi R\u00e4ikk\u00f6nen, whose popularity remains undiminished over the years, one might expect a line of clothing and merchandise to be quickly launched to monetize this acclaim.<\/p>\n